Holley's ambition is to be 'servant' as Democratic candidate for 5th Congressional District

Charlie Holley of Madison is the first Democrat to announce his candidacy to run for Congress as the Fifth District representative. (Submitted photo)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Charlie Holley said Friday he wants to be a "servant" to the Fifth District as he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Holley, a Democrat, becomes the first candidate to announce intentions to run against freshman Congressman Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville. Holley made his formal announcement Thursday night.

"I'm going to hopefully be presenting myself to people not as a Democrat," Holley said. "I'm going to be presenting myself to people as a servant. I'm going to constantly hit on that simple word -- servant. We have to get back to the servant model of leadership."

Holley, 47, lives in Madison and is an associate minister at Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville. He said he has never been elected to public office.

He said he considers his lack of political experience an asset.

"I think today, too many politicians have put their political theology ahead of people's needs," Holley said. "Too many politicians only want to represent those people who want to vote for them.

"We have so many people in so many cities within our district that feel as though they don't really matter."

Doug Dermody, chair of the Madison County Democratic Party, said, "Mr. Holley has come forward and he's going to provide voters of the Fifth District a choice and I'm sure he's going to run a strong campaign and take it to Mo."

Among the issues Holley said he's concerned with is the state's new immigration law. Holley said he supported a criteria-based system that would allow illegal immigrants, within a defined time period, to apply for citizenship without prosecution.

"Our state should learn to start showing a little more compassion toward people," Holley said, "instead of saying, 'You broke the law, we're out to get you.'"